The Penn's Grove record., 1887-08-13

OlQf'
perhaps"
This half-satirical sparring was one
of their customs. She seemed specially
to delight in IT. lie was always glanc-
ing off into personalities-her person.
ality-but she liked to reflect, and to
say perverse things.
Just then a longcr.reachlng swash
came boldly up and crawled all about
her feet. Thanks to the stout boots,
she got away with little wetting. But
Manchester was distressed.
Your feet are wet, Miss Shepherd"
ION the outslde-yes."
"Be reasonable. The water must
have crept inside, l am sure; and it Is
a great risk"
81 get them wet every day. l never
suffer from It,"
81 have q suspicion that in order to
keep you out Of the water, one would
havo to command you to go into it. l
am sure you would go dry-shod all your
life, If some n should plead with you
to wade"
Oh, how she tantalized and vexed
him.
"Reaily," In a half-injured tone,
''they are thoroughly dry. l run no
risk"
Manchester deliberated before he
made any further advance. Then lift
ing up the umbrella and scanning it its
entire length, he said, with some exas.
peration:
"How does 1T happen that for merely
n asking l am in possession OF this
article? l should suppose that because
l wanted to carry it l couldn't have
had it on any TERMS"
"Oh, that is easily explained. You
dia not toant to carry tit was merely
d stress of politeness that impelled you
to ask to do it. If you had really
craved the pleasure, of course you
couldn't have had it,"
81 hate an umbrella" he answered
with vehemence. "You can have it
back, Miss Shepherd. 1t will serve as
a support instead of my ARM"
~ get on very well without either"
she replied.
No sooner was this uttered than a
sudden within on the part of the storm
sent the rain pouring down upon them.
1t was a retiring salaam-an ELUSIVE
az TeUotr.
There was a moments grim satisfac-
ton to Manchester in seeing the water
dashed into her d~efenceless face. He
would have felt thoroughly justified in
leaving her to get the full force of it as
long as it should last.
But pity and tenderness very quickly
succeeded.
With great difficulty he opened the
umbrella, took her hand with irmness.
drew it closely within his arm, and
sheltered her as best he could.
A group of dwarf pines vas near, a
little back from the beach in the sand.
He drew her toward them, and they
proved an excellent barrier against the
storm. 1t was comparatively calm
there, but she WIS forced to s+ar3r elJ-
close to him SO 8 @So7roid the deluge.
He looked dGl.l!, 9 lnto her glowing
face. 1t did not seem at all to him as
if either of them lacked good sg-So i'll
berg there. 1t was delightful, bliss
full.
Would you have been as generous
to me,n he said, bending down to her,
''if you had had the umbrella, and |
had been trying by every means to pick
a quarrel with your"
'Quarrel1"
She lifted her eyes in surprised ques-
ton, a moment, but dropped them at
once with a Vivid blush. She met
something III his, which were at too
close range to be evaded, thas made ner
heart beat terribly.
But she rallied.
81 never quarrel. 1t is you who dis
tract me always; and because l am not
doclle, you-"
"I-2'
eyes. YOU"
Eyes, 1 love you, Annie"
There was no escape. no room what
eyer for coquetry. To turn to the N
side was to be d%renched, to turn to the
other was to be almost within his arms.
She was at a tremendous disadvant-
age. She wanted TO laugh, but, in
stead, a little tIemor went over her
chin, and she began to cry.
How he comforted her. how he
soothed her, let the umbrella tell, for it
shut them away from all observers
until her self-control was quite re-
stored.
When he lifted it again, to take a
peep at the prospect without, she was
smiling.
"Rival showers" he said, with "a
spark of malice.
The spark klndled no resentment.
She would not seem to hear.
"Do you hate this umbrellap" was her
adroit question TO turn the subject.
Dissertation again, caused by the
umbrellas sinking once more over their
heads.
Standing in the rain for a length of
time may have romantic elements Ia
It, but can never be wholly without
anxiety or discomfort. Manchester
liked one feature of 1.-THE proximity.
But however kindly the umbrella had
lent itself to their purposes, 1T had
failed to keep them dry.
So they started homeward, arm in
arm, as they had not come. lie was
tender, she compliant.
"How much sweeter a woman IS who
has been vanquished, than n born
t~ractable," thought the victor.
The wind was now at their backs,
and helped to speed them along. 1t
must have had a sense or the ludlcr0us
about it, too, for it suddenly got under
the umbrella, and almost carried it out
OF Manchester's hands. The handle
would stay with him, but the top would
not. 1t made a complete revolution of
itself-ln other words-turned the
wrong side out.
Miss Shepherd was forced to relax
her grip on her lovers arm; his energies
were centered elsewhere. In n mo-
ment more the fatal "yes" would have
been spoken; but Fate interposed a
hiatus, as Fate is apt to do.
Manchester had a great deal OF OBJ
stinacy that was wont to come to the
front In emergencies. Neither his atti-
tude nor gait was at the present mo
ment dignihed, but he manifested a
determination not to be conquered by
an manimate thing he had SO often re-
yiIed.
He was in q lne chase after it, when
his hat caught the contagion and went
flying off his head in advance.
Then disgust overlook him. He gave